Comparison of acute viral hepatitis data quality using two methodologies, 2005-2007.

Area of Science:

• Public Health Surveillance
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology
• Viral Hepatitis Research

Background:

• Effective surveillance for acute viral hepatitis (A, B, C) is crucial for public health response.
• Data quality and reporting timeliness impact the ability to monitor disease trends and implement interventions.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Emerging Infections Program (EIP) funds specific surveillance activities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the quality of acute viral hepatitis surveillance data between CDC-funded EIP sites and non-funded National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS)-based states (NBS) sites.
• To assess differences in data completeness, adherence to case definitions, and reporting timeliness.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive analysis of acute hepatitis A, B, and C cases reported between 2005-2007.
• Comparison of data completeness (demographics, risk behaviors), adherence to CDC/CSTE case definitions, and reporting timeliness between EIP and NBS sites.

Main Results:

• EIP sites reported more complete race/ethnicity data and a higher likelihood of including risk behavior information compared to NBS sites.
• Case reports from EIP sites were more likely to meet the CDC/CSTE case definition for acute hepatitis A, B, and C.
• EIP sites demonstrated more timely reporting of cases to health departments than NBS sites, although the acute hepatitis C case definition posed challenges for both.

Conclusions:

• Data quality and timeliness in acute viral hepatitis surveillance are superior in CDC-funded EIP sites compared to non-funded NBS sites.
• Financial support for surveillance activities is essential for generating high-quality data necessary for informed public health decision-making and response.